Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline

As the school gets to the end of the year, the days are increasingly stressful. After I left work today, I had the urge to go on a hike in the open space where I can see green grass and endless sky.  I took a short drive to Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline in Crockett.

There were only a few cars in the parking lot when I arrived, and I didn't see anyone in sight. I felt that I had the park all to myself. It was a great feeling. I had some snack on a bench before taking Kelsey on the trail.

The view from the hill was amazing. We did eventually encounter a few people with their dogs. We all greeted each other. Some of them asked me what breed Kelsey is. One of them said that Kelsey looks like a Hovaward.  I get that from time to time.  I like what the man said, "It doesn't matter what she is, she is YOUR dog."  Yup, that is right! I always enjoy chatting with other dog parents.

On the way back we passed by quite a few cattle. We all looked at each other.  I love being outside in peaceful open space.

A Stroll in Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline

 

I often go to Point Isabel because it's just right down the street; however, it is very crowded on weekends. I also love to explore new sights and smell, so I am constantly referring to my "The Dog Lover's Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area for new places to go on weekends. Since I just went to Point Isabel yesterday, I flipped through the book this morning for a new park to go.  Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline seems like to good one to explore. It's very close by, it's close to the water, and there's no fee for parking or dog. I grabbed my day pack, water bottle, a banana, trail mix, and some dog treats and headed over to Miller/Knox with Kelsey in the backseat.

Kelsey always knows when we are getting close to a new place. I would see her stretching her head up, sniffing, and look out of the window in curiosity and excitement. As soon as I parked the car, she was eager to get out.  Miller/Knox has a lot of picnic sites, and there were some families barbequing already.  I started walking toward the shore with Kelsey.  I always like to walk along abandoned rail tracks. They make me feel nostalgic. In addition to the tracks, there were several abandoned buildings covered with graffiti along the shore near where the pier is. A few men were fishing on the pier, which didn't require a fishing permit. 

Next to the lagoon, there were many Canadian geese including some chicks and juvenile geese.  They hurriedly moved away as they sensed Kelsey's presence. On our way back, there were a lot more families all over the picnic area. Some of them were having children's birthday parties. The smell of bbq started to make me feel really hungry. You would never see these many people grilling meat at Point Isabel because all the dogs just gather next to the food and refuse to move.

Dusty's Bath Time

For the last few years I have become quite allergic to Dusty, so I have not been grooming him as much as I should. Lately, he has started looking not only dusty but filthy. My guilty level got to the point that I decided to not only give him a haircut but also a bath. I was a bit unsure as I have never given Dusty a bath since I got him 10 years ago. I have seen rabbits swimming on Youtube. I knew someone who let her pet rabbit swim in the bathtub. I knew some rabbits actually love water, but could that be Dusty? After all, he's over 10 years old now.

I made sure the water is warm but not too warm before putting Dusty in it. He seemed to take it quite well and didn't freak out. That was a good sign. I don't have any shampoo for rabbits, so I just washed him with warm water. I changed the water several times until it no longer turned dirty.  I clipped his nails while they were soft from soaking in the warm water. It was so much easier! I blew dried him with a hairdryer set on low.  He seemed to enjoy the whole experience!

He even washed his face while in the tub and played with the water a bit. I took a short clip of Dusty splashing water with his front feet!

Spring Break 2014

Passion fruit vines are spreading fast and so does the fennel

I have not been spending much time on the farm due to my full time + job. Most of the vegetable beds I built have been taken over by weeds. Fennel is considered a weed in my garden. It's constantly competing water and nutrients with my passion fruit and grape!  Yes, under that bushy fennel plant (see photo above), there is a Concord grape plant.  Every time I try to cut off the fennel, I accidentally cut the grape, too.  It happened again today even though I was trying to be very careful.  I ended up using a piece of tape trying to save the mostly damaged grape plant. We will see if it survives again this year.

Lots of fruit and flowers

A week ago, I noticed some partially eaten loquats on the ground. I looked up the tree, and to my surprise, it is full of baby loquats for the very first time. I don't remember exactly when this tree was planted, but it has to be at least 15 years ago. It produced very little fruits year after year, and usually the fruits would be so high up and almost impossible to reach. This time the fruits are everywhere including all the lower branches that are just within arm's reach!

Can you see all the baby loquats?

The tree is full of baby loquats for the first time

The peach tree is once again growing peaches. I spent a couple hours pulling weeds and checking out all my fruit bearing plants. The weather is starting to feel like summer.  

Baby peaches

Rediscover El Cerrito - Stockton Avenue

I spend most of my free time hanging out in Berkeley for its large selection of bakeries, coffee shops, and restaurants. A few years ago, I noticed a few shops popping up on Stockton Avenue in El Cerrito. I didn't think they would last.  I thought there simply wouldn't be enough foot traffic to support the business. A few days ago I got a coupon for a small cup of coffee at Well Grounded Tea & Coffee Bar on Stockton Avenue, one of the shops that I saw a few years ago. I normally walk Kelsey just a block short from Stockton, so I thought I'd walk over and check out the shop while getting a free small cup of coffee.

This morning I went in the small coffee shop for the first time at 8:30 a.m.  To my surprise, it was full of patrons, and there were 3 friendly staff behind the counter taking people's orders. The coffee was surprisingly good and strong.  The customers were all friendly and asked me about the very well behaved dog, Kelsey, who was tied to a tree outside of the shop.

While I enjoyed my coffee, I walked across the street to check out other shops. They are Hibiscus Boutique Spa and The Glenn Custom Framing among a few others. Outside of the framing shop, there is a little cute free library full of books.  I couldn't resist not to take The Dog Park Club by Cynthia Robinson. I read its introduction, and the story takes place in Berkeley. I can't wait to read a mystery novel that's about a dog park and takes place right in my neighborhood!